Kirk Yeterian 2008 mugshot
OAKHURST — A Coarsegold man is in custody after leading law enforcement on a chase through the Vons parking lot and down into the Fresno River this morning.
Kirk Yeterian, 34, was arrested after allegedly climbing up on the roof and vandalizing the United Security Bank and Big 5 building, then fleeing when sheriff’s deputies showed up.
Just before 9 a.m. this morning, a deputy was dispatched to a vandalism in progress at the building. Reports were that the subject was tampering with the air conditioning units on the roof.
An employee at United Security Bank says that when she pulled into the parking lot this morning, she saw someone up on the roof, but didn’t think too much of it because people were supposed to be doing some work at the building today.
However, when those workmen showed up later, she realized the person on the roof should not have been there. She also discovered that the bank’s internet service was out, and called the IT department for assistance.
When Deputy Weaver arrived at the scene, he made contact with Yeterian, who then took off running. As Weaver pursued him on foot, Sgt. Tallmon caught up with the suspect in his patrol vehicle, as three additional deputies responded to assist.
Yeterian ran down below the Taste of China restaurant and back around the Vons building where he went through a barbed wire fence and down into the Fresno River.
Three CHP officers also responded to assist and staged in the parking lot at Urgent Care, while deputies — who had temporarily lost sight of the subject — continued their attempts to get eyes on him again.
They found him down in the riverbed, and after some attempts to try and convince him to come out on his own, Sgt. Larry Rich and other deputies went in after him, wading into the river to take him into custody after a minor struggle.
Deputies also asked for dispatch to send Madera County Engine 12 with a ladder in the event of anyone requiring assistance in the river, however the suspect was arrested before that was necessary.
Yeterian was transported to the Madera County Jail and booked for vandalism, obstructing or delaying a peace officer, and a $35,000 outstanding burglary warrant.
Dave Dorsey of Dorsey’s Hallmark said that he heard all the sirens in the parking lot, saw a guy sprinting down behind the store into the ravine, and was quick to give credit to the response of law enforcement, especially since he’s had many occasions to avail himself of their services.
“I give a lot of credit to the Sheriff and the CHP,” says Dave. “Nobody realizes what they put up with around here, especially at night, and they’re on top of it whenever my alarm goes off — they’re here in no time. We’ve also had our storage unit broken into, and I give them a lot of credit. We’ve got great people in our law enforcement, and I thank them whenever I see them.”
Meanwhile at United Security Bank, they still had to deal with an internet outage, and hopefully got back online in short order. It hasn’t been confirmed that the suspect caused the outage.
Posted by Madera County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, December 14, 2016
(Photos courtesy Madera County Sheriff’s Office)
